Bringing Home a Puppy

By: Webster Magcalas

I remember when I first held “Kenzo and Mishka” my two Siberian huskies, they were so fluffy and white, and believe me; you can’t and won’t take your eyes off of them. Puppies are one of the most adorable creatures in this world, and they are so irresistible. But what do you need to know when bringing home a puppy? 

KENZO
Image Credit: Webster Magcalas

With countless years of being constantly in-love with dogs, I have learned some precautions in bringing home a puppy. I recommend to get the puppy around morning so that there will be less stress considering the increase in temperature at noon. 

Ask the breeder not to feed the puppy prior to the travel so that vomiting of the puppy can be prevented. I almost forgot, in case there will be some emergencies like the dog peeing or vomiting, you should bring extra rugs or clothing in order to wipe any discharge that would spill. 

I also recommend carrying the puppy in your lap instead of placing the puppy in a cage because this will pose additional stress to the puppy considering that he is new to the environment, plus the motion of the car would add also to the stress. 

In addition to this the bond between you and the puppy will be strengthened. I believe dogs are more akin to smelling rather than seeing and their sense of smell is their means of investigating something new in their environment. 

Allowing your puppy to sit on your lap will facilitate this bond in which both of you will share for about 15 years.  It has also been proven in a study that patting the dog triggers the oxytocin in the dog to be released thereby strengthening the bond between the owner and the dog. This also has a calming and de-stressing effect on the owner. 

If your home is too far from where you got the puppy, it is advisable to stop every 1 hour or so just for the puppy to have a wee-wee break or just for the puppy to breath some air. Now, a word of advice, since your puppy is not yet fully vaccinated, you should be careful where your puppy walks. Grassy areas or areas near the canal should be avoided because they may have certain viruses or bacteria lurking such as the dreaded Parvo virus. 

Now that you are safely home, let your puppy take a nap. You should be wary of your dog at this time. Never let people crown the puppy because he is just adjusting to the new environment. Additional stresses such as noise from people scare or even traumatize the puppy. I know your puppy is too adorable for them to resist but let your puppy rest for a while before accepting visitors. 

When your puppy wakes up, scoop him up and take him to a place where you want him to pee regularly, this place is his wee-wee place in which he will poo and urinate most frequently. Before your dog urinates or poo, say “ go poo, or go wee-wee”. 

When your dog urinates or poops, praise him by saying “good wee-wee or good poo” in a high and playful tone and pat the puppy in order for him to know that he did something good.  And there you have it, you just potty trained your puppy. Additional information of potty training will be provided on the succeeding articles so stay tuned.

As the night approaches, fix the bed, cushion or crate in which you want your puppy to sleep for the night. It is advisable for the owner to sleep together or near the puppy. Whether you sleep outside with your dog or you sleep inside with your dog it doesn’t matter as long as you are with him. Having someone familiar around will lessen the stress that he will encounter during the night. I know these are three-no-sleep days but I assure you this is important. 

I know it can be frustrating to have a pup cry all the time but be patient enough in taking care of the pup, this stage would just be over in a few days or weeks and you won’t even realize that it’s over and your pup is a well grown dog.

Good luck in your new puppy and just enjoy every minute that you have with them. Ciao.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

WEBSTER MAGCALAS is a 3rd year college student, who has been Mr. University 2010. He belongs to the upper 10% of his class, is multi-talented and creative. 

He loves music, writing and modeling. He is also a "dog-lover."